Like any new practice, using no-till for vegetable production has a learning curve with potentially reduced productivity until you figure out what works best for your operation. To help with the financial risk, we are offering up to a $500 cost share to 10 Iowa vegetable growers to trial a no-till practice on their farm.
IVRCD 2025 No-Till Cost Share Program & Application
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Applicants must operate a vegetable farm established for at least two years
Sell your product (home gardens are not eligible)
Own or lease land in Iowa
Willingness to engage and adhere to program expectations
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Upon approval and attending the spring meeting, producers will receive $500 to support no-till practices on their farm.
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The stipend can cover expenses related to the implementation of a no-till system on the farm. This can include cover crops, crop seed/plant starts, tarps, soil tests, mulch, compost, or equipment for the trial.
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Producers will purchase supplies listed on their budget for the no-till trial and submit receipts up to $500 to receive reimbursement.
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We understand the season is busy and will keep necessary reporting minimal.
Spring virtual 1-hour meeting
Trial Plan & Budget
After participants are accepted, they will submit a short project plan and budget to steer their trial
Short Mid-season 3-question update with photos
End of Season report of outcomes with photos
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Application Link: Vegetable No-till Cost Share Program
The deadline is Apr 1, 2025 or until spots are filled.
If you are interested in learning more about this project, please reach out to Senior Program Director Emmaly Renshaw at emmaly@ivrcd.org
No Till Trial at Grow: Johnson County:
In an effort to adopt more climate resilient practices, we’ve been trialing different crop and cover crop combinations at our Grow: Johnson County farm, 2025 will be our third year with the trial.
During this trial, various cover crop and cash crop combinations have been assessed by measuring yield, labor, pest control, and soil health outcomes. The data has been compared to organic tillage production methods that include roto-tillage, cultivation, fertilizer inputs, and cover crops.
Grow: Johnson County | Year 1 No Till Trial
Grow: Johnson County | Year 2 No Till Trial
The project is made possible through funding from a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant #NR226114XXXXG002
Keep up-to-date with the progress of our no-till trial, click the link to our Substack below.
“With the stipend we purchased heavy duty double-sided ground cover for our cabbage production, drip tape for irrigation, and a truckload of organic compost to help restore and replenish the soil in our cabbage field.
Adrian White, Jupiter Ridge Farm